Saturday 21 March:Town and country in late medieval Ireland, a conference. Hosts: Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, the Discovery Programme, Maynooth University, the Dublin Medieval Society and the University of Bristol. Venue: Helen Roe Theatre, Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. Free, but need to book. 9:30am to 5pm.

Sunday 22 March:Can we let go of history? a Newstalk's Talking History live broadcast discussing commemoration. Venue: National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 7pm. Host Patrick Geoghegan will lead a panel of special guests in discussion, before opening the floor to questions. Free. All welcome.

Tuesday 24 March: "Better to die by the sword than to die of starvation”: protest and resistance during the Great Famine, with John Cunningham. Host: Aughty Famine Working Group. Venue: Lady Gregory Hotel, Gort, Co. Galway. 8pm. Free. Details (pdf).

Wednesday 25 March:Virtue and Vice: Political Rhetoric and Popular Action across the Atlantic during the Irish Land War, with Andrew Phemister. Host: University of Edinburgh; Modern Irish History Seminar Programme. Venue: University of Edinburgh, Room G.13, William Robertson Wing, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, UK. 5pm. Free. All welcome. Details.

Thursday 26 March:Remembering 1916, a HistoryIreland Hedge School. Venue: Lecture Theatre, Ulster Museum. Botanic Gardens, Belfast BT9 5AB. 7–9pm.(Refreshments and guided tours of the Ulster Museum’s 1916 artefacts in the new Modern History gallery, will be available from 6:15pm.) Free. Need to book.

Saturday 28 March:Family History Day. A full day seminar. A mix of practical information and case studies suitable for beginners or for those who have more experience in genealogical research. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Booking not required, but it's recommended to come early to ensure a place.

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Welcome to Irish Genealogy News

Irish genealogy research is famous for being difficult, if not impossible. This reputation isn't entirely deserved, although there can be some fundamental difficulties in discovering your Irish ancestry, particularly if you don't know where your ancestors lived. That's why I launched my website, Irish Genealogy Toolkit. It's a free online guide to Irish family history research, and it's designed to helpyou to find your heritage.

This blog runs in parallel with the Toolkit and is not sponsored, aligned or connected with any commercial organisations. As its name suggests, it carries the latest Irish genealogy news and it's read by professional and amateur genealogists who recognise its independence and wide coverage of news.

Be sure to bookmark my blog's home page, and check in regularly to keep up to date with what's happening in the world of Irish family history.